The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-19
NERVE AND GOLD.
"Reminiscences OF Draw Poker on Pio-
neer Steamboats,.
From the Nashville american.

From the Nashville AUtericdn
The late Capt Jack Dashiell in his long
service on the Cumberland witnessed many
stirring scenes, of which he never tired talk
ing to his friends. Speaking of card play
ing on the pioneer steamboats, he once said;
Eyes, it was real pleasure to witness
one of those old-fashioned games. Why,
I've seen wives and sweethearts sit behiud
the chairs of their husbands and lovers and
watch with eager interest the exciting play.
Rich brandies and wines and fine cigars
were convenient, and the game flowed on
with seldom a rough word The stakes did
grow to rather exorbitant proportions some
times, it must be confessed; but men need
excitement, you know, and those men had
| the nerve to see bullion circulated without
manifesting much trepidation at the re-
suit"
what was the biggest game you ever
saww
"That question is rather hard to answer.
Let us see. | think it was one played on
the Tonka in the thirties. Oh, yes, recol-
lect distinctly, and the man who won it was
rare good one. had left New Orleans on
the return trip 80 Nashville, and among the
passengers were a goodly number of plant
ers whose pockets iingled heavily with the
coin brought by the sale of their
produce There was one young fell
low, | remember, who boarded ms at New
Orleans saying he was on pleasure jaunt to
Nashville. He was tall, SLENDER youth,
upon whose lips the faint traces Of a nous
tache betokened a manhood which other
wise might have been doubted. He was
singularly handsome, fine specimen of
the aristocratic Creole. His garments were
fashionably cut and of rich texture. He
wore no iewelry save delicately nodded
watch chain, which passed around his neck,
and q solitaire diamond, which flashed lus-
trously upon his dark-skinned hand He
was apparently wealthy but made no dis
play Of his money; that is, for several days.
We had been out some time and things
, were moving quite merrily, when some one
proposed poker That was nothing unusual,
and paid no attention to the preparation
for the game. Dinner had Just been served,
the wines passed around and everybody
mellow for fun. A table was cleared, new
deck of cards brought out by the clerk and
the party squared themselves FOR play. III
was composed Of three planters, old ac-
auaintances of mine from this section, and
the young Creole. passed the quartette as
the first hand was being dealt, and with
wish that they might enjoy themselves,
went to the hurricane deck. | did not
come down until supper time The Mayo |
still sat at their places 4 did not Know her
hung over the ays calico her Mary
the sllras,s5rso mad been picked up out of
MI street But she grew on, and after
awhile the Holy Spirit came to her heart,
and she became n Christian child and she
changed her name; and when anybody
asked her what her name was, she said 1T
used TO be Mary Lost but now, since have
become a Christian. IL is Mary Found"
For this vast multitude, are we willing to
90 forth from this mornings service and
Ill
cies | have spoken of for the rectiflcation Of
the poisoned fountainsl We live in a beau
tiful city. The lines have fallen TO us in
pleasant places, and we have a goodly heri-
tage; and any man who does not like a resi-
1ence in Brooklyn, must be q most uncom-
Portable ard unreasonable man. But, my
friends the material prosperity Of a city
Is not its chief glory. There may be fine
houses and beautiful streets and that all be
the garnitlre of sepulchre. Some Of the
most prosperous cities Of the world have
gone down, not one stone left upon another
But a city may be in ruins long before
4 tower has fallen, or a column has
or tomb has been
lefaced When in city the churches Of
God are full of cold formaties and mani
mate religion, when the houses Of COM
nerce are the abode of fraud and unholy
,rafIlc: when the streets are filed with
rhine unarrested, and sin unenlightened, and
as 'essness unpitied-that city is IN ruins,
Of every church were a st. Peters,
nome1ry moneyed institution were a Bank
chair nd, and every library were Brit
awaitedlIn, and every house had porch
o,nner IF Rheims, and roof like that Of
nIsnter md tower like that of Antwerp,
his MINCED windows like those 81 Fret
pat Cou.
I'D hal "a |